Texas A&M football has, all things considered, been a winner in the transfer portal so far in this cycle. The Aggies have done a great job filling needs on their roster thus far, particularly at wide receiver.
One of the losses that A&M fans were not expecting, however, was that of TJ Shanahan. Shanahan, out of Westlake High School, came in as a highly-rated prospect by Rivals, while he was a bit slept on by some other recruiting services.
The staff at the time obviously thought highly of Shanahan, though, as this was considered a pretty big win for the Aggies. After an injury in his senior season, he was still recovering during his first year in College Station, though, and didn't contribute much.
This past season, however, Shanahan was key for the Aggie OL. Despite the fact that he had a couple of players ahead of him, he still saw a lot of action in 2024, including starting a few games when Koli Faaiu was unable to go.
Because of this, it was a surprise to Aggie fans that Shanahan decided to move on via the portal. As time has gone on, though, the word has been that some of the younger OL look to be moving up on the depth chart, which could have made Shanahan dismayed at the outlook of playing time going forward.
Shanahan was quiet ever since his telling announcement that he was transferring, in which he did not thank any of the current A&M staff. Now, we know where he is headed.
Former Texas A&M football OL TJ Shanahan announces transfer portal commitment to Penn State
Done Deal. pic.twitter.com/rdhL34o708
— Tj Shanahan Jr. (@TShanahan66) January 10, 2025
Shanahan has committed to Penn State, where he will join Enai White as former Texas A&M football players on the Nittany Lions squad. PSU is coming off of a close loss to Notre Dame in the CFP semifinal game, and with Drew Allar returning next year, they'll be looking to have another stellar season in 2025.
Under James Franklin, Penn State has had a reputation for physicality in their run game, where Shanahan excels. It was pass blocking that was a bigger question mark for him last year, but with the proper development, I'm sure he'll be serviceable there as well.